KILLINGTON, VT—Girl Scouts were honored at the Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, November 2 for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting, meeting national standards set by Girl Scouts of the USA.
The award represents an individual’s extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable take-action projects, as well as her commitment, creativity, and personal effort in making her community a better place.

“These girls have done amazing things and changed the world,” said Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains CEO Patricia Mellor.
To earn the Gold Award, Girl Scouts in grades 9-12 spend at least 80 hours researching issues, assessing community needs and resources, building a team, and making a sustainable impact in the community. A Gold Award recipient’s accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart as a community leader. Some of this year’s projects include:

Organizing a music education day at a camp for children and adults with disabilities

Creating an outdoor classroom for an elementary school to get students outside

Working with a town to document a history of the VFW and raise awareness

Making a documentary about domestic violence and its impact on society

Corinne Berntsen of Bedford, NH said earning her Gold “took a lot of time, but it’s definitely worth it.”

“It taught me public speaking and leadership, which I’m already using in a job I got,” said Kathryn Blais of Pelham, NH.

As part of the leadership aspect, girls assemble and lead a team of volunteers. Maya Bloom of Hopkinton, NH worked with the Lions Club and members of the New Hampshire National Guard to accomplish her project.
Three girls were present at the ceremony: Corinne Berntsen, Kathryn Blais and Maya Bloom. Others who earned this prestigious award are Natalie Giraldi of Bedford, NH; Kaitlin Maloney of Amherst, NH; and Anna Ravenelle of Goffstown, NH.